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Hi I'm Mick Hagen

I'm an entrepreneur. I'm a maker. I'm a wannabe rapper. I'm a curious explorer. I'm a college drop-out. I'm a dad & husband.

About Me

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I'm a 30-year old internet entrepreneur based in London (recently moved from San Francisco). I dropped out of Princeton University after my freshman year to start a company called Zinch -- a website that connects students with college/grad school opportunities and scholarships. We have over 3 million users and work with over 1000 colleges. In 2011 the company was acquired by Chegg (now a public company).
After Zinch, I worked on a mobile app in the content discovery space -- Undrip. It failed. Going through that failure was the hardest period of my life. I'm trying to bounce back with a new product, Spatch. We're re-imagining communication/email. We're currently in London going through a well-known accelerator called Techstars. Startups will always be a passion of mine. I love building things and creating value.
Other than entrepreneurship, I love sports. I played basketball in high school and still enjoy it. I also enjoy dancing. I was in a hip hop dance group at Princeton. My wife and I have a youtube dance video that has more than 2 million views. I love to travel and explore the world. It's amazing what you can learn from different cultures and backgrounds. I made a few rap videos that got really popular also.
I love my wife and two children more than anything in this world. They are my greatest motivation.

Why I am a Mormon

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I think ultimately I'm a Mormon because it brings me happiness. When i'm obeying the Mormon teachings -- serving God, serving others, living a good life -- I find my life filled with more meaning, purpose and perspective. I live with a greater sense of optimism and confidence that God is on my side. I feel limitless and in control. As I serve and try to help others, I start to look outward, and I forget about my own shortcomings or challenges. I am able to maintain a positive attitude, and see the joy and happiness that every day should bring.
The teachings bring order and structure to such a chaotic and unstructured life. I find myself more focused on what matters most. And I feel empowered with God on my side to do whatever I set out to accomplish. He wants me to succeed. He wants me to do well and do good. I'm confident that as long as I serve him and remember the source of all our blessings, I will continue to be blessed (sometimes in ways not only spiritual). Being a Mormon has helped me understand this perspective. And i've found joy in it.
The Holy Ghost has confirmed that this is the truth. I've read the Book of Mormon many times and I've prayed about it's truthfulness as well as if Joseph Smith was a true prophet. I can't deny the feelings i've felt. The Holy Ghost has touched my heart and confirmed that this is true. Being anything but a Mormon would be denying God, His love, and His mercy.

How I live my faith

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Most importantly, I try to be a good husband and father. "No success in the world can compensate for failure in the home,"says David O. Mckay. I try to love and serve in my home the best I can. I want to have a great relationship with my wife and raise children that want to serve God and His children. I fall short often. I'm far from perfect. Finding the balance in life and juggling all of life's responsibilities is challenging. But i'm trying... and that's all God expects. He asks that we do our best. Our best will always be good enough when doing God's work.
One of the great things about the Mormon church is that it's clergy are all volunteers, all unpaid. We all get an opportunity serve in different capacities. One year you can be teaching the young children and the next you can be leading the main congregation. We all get an opportunity to serve and it's constantly being rotated and switched out. We're all volunteers. We're all unpaid. We do it because we love to serve and help others. It's one of the great blessings of being a Mormon. And it has allowed me to grow and stretch in ways I otherwise would not have done.
I've had the opportunity to lead different groups in the church. One of the things I love most about it is the opportunity to go and visit families in their homes. I get to learn more about their family, their triumphs, their struggles, their going-ons, their life. I love people and how unique everyone is. It has allowed me to learn from them and grow with them. As a leader, you're there to serve -- to lift and inspire and motivate in anyway possible. I found myself being the one motivated. I found that as I served, I was the one being taught more than teaching. I was the one being inspired, more than inspiring. It's funny how that works. But getting to know people, their lives and what makes them tick have been one of the great blessings of church service. And it's what makes the Mormon community so tight-knit. We sincerely care for each other.